Verify or Repair your Hard Disk

Mac OS X 10.3 includes a utility called Disk Utility, which can be found in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder. This program combines the features of Disk First Aid, Disk Copy, and Drive Setup.

Of this bunch, the First Aid features of Disk Utility are probably the most seldom used. I don’t know why ‘“ personally, I like to use this feature to clean up file permissions and repair minor directory damage on my hard disks on a regular basis. The trouble is, to use the disk verification or repair features on your startup disk, you can’t start up from that disk or run the software from that disk.

And therein lies the problem: how do you verify or repair your hard disk with Disk Utility if you can’t start it from your hard disk?

The answer is on your Mac OS X installation disc. That disc, which includes the Disk Utility software, can be used to start your computer.

Those of you who have above average knowledge of the installation discs may be scratching your heads. You know that when you start a computer with a Mac OS X installation disc, the Installer application automatically runs. When you use the Installer’s Quit Installer command, the Finder does not appear. Instead, the installer tells you it will restart your computer. So how do you launch Disk Utility?

I’ll tell you.

First of all, you know how to restart your computer from a CD, right? Insert the CD and either use the Startup Disk pane of the System Preferences application to identify the disc as your startup disk OR restart your computer with the C key held down. Of these two methods, I prefer the first. Sure, it takes longer, but it always works. If the other method doesn’t work, you’ll wind up restarting several times, thus wasting more time than you would have spent if you’d done it the first way.

Wait for the Installer to launch. When it asks what language you want to use, choose Open Disk Utility from the Installer menu. After a moment (remember, it’s starting from the CD), Disk Utility appears. Because you launched it from the same CD you started the computer from, it gives you complete access to all of its features, including the First Aid features you might want to use on your hard disk.

Oh, and when you’re done, there’s a quick way to go back to your regular startup disk. Quit Disk Utility and the Installer reappears. Choose Change Startup Disk from the Installer menu. Then use the Choose Startup Disk window that appears to select your internal hard disk and click Restart.